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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27086203">Coffin/Labeled Crossover</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KieraElieson/pseuds/KieraElieson'>KieraElieson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Coffin Universe [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Needs a Hug, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Good Friend, Superpowers, Vampires, crossover fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 02:35:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27086203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KieraElieson/pseuds/KieraElieson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Virgil wakes up. </p><p>But this is Not his bed. Or his house. Or his Dad. But it’s still Patton. How does that work???</p><p>And how is Logan but not Logan cooking breakfast?? And Patton has FANGS???</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Morality | Patton Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Coffin Universe [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Coffin/Labeled Crossover</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdrianaintheSnow/gifts">AdrianaintheSnow</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is not canon to Coffin, but just a fun crossover set after the end of Sired.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Virgil woke up in a bedroom that was definitely not his. And for some reason Patton had him trapped in a full-body cuddle. But what was stranger was that the room wasn’t Patton’s and Logan’s either. And Logan was nowhere to be seen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton shifted and yawned, and Virgil startled back, because that was…. Those were fangs! In </span>
  <em>
    <span>Patton’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>mouth!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What had happened?! Had some villain managed to kidnap them both in their sleep? And do something to Patton? But why? And why just one of them? Unless he had fangs too. But a quick check assured him that he did not have fangs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton let out a small groan. “Where’ you goin’?” And then his nose wrinkled and he opened his eyes. He looked up at Virgil, and his expression just got more and more confused with every second. “Wh… Who are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t remember me?” Virgil asked, more and more questions about what had happened to Patton racing through his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton’s confused frown deepened. “No. You… aren’t… Are you Virgil? What did you do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil was incredibly concerned that Patton didn’t know who he was anymore, or at least wasn’t sure. “Yeah, I’m Virgil. But I didn’t do anything. I think we may have been kidnapped. Do you remember anything strange about last night?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton just squinted at him harder. “You aren’t Virgil.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am. Whoever kidnapped us must have done something to your mind. Let’s get out of here, and then we can get you help.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton still just frowned and squinted at him in an incredibly confused way. “Virgil isn’t a human.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was as if the last little bubble of ‘this makes sense’ in his brain had popped. “What— what else— what else would I be?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A vampire.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton said it so casually, as if it was the one thing he was sure of in the situation. Virgil began wondering if this could be an incredibly elaborate prank. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Logan?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably in the kitchen, why? How do you know Logan?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cause he’s my—“ Virgil froze. This might not actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>be </span>
  </em>
  <span>Patton. It could all be a trick to get information from him. An incredibly strange trick, but a trick. He shut his mouth tight and slid off the bed, trying the door handle. To his surprise, it opened easily, but then Patton grabbed his arm, his grip somehow incredibly strong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are you, really? What did you do with V— with my Virgil?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well who are you, really?” Virgil snapped, trying to pull his arm back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton frowned slightly, in a very familiar ‘huh’ face that Virgil had seen a million times before, and was creeped out to be seeing now. He let go of Virgil. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what’s going on here, but we’ll find it out faster if we work together.” He even gave the same puppy eyes. “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil sighed. Better a creepy not-Patton for a friend than an enemy. “Sure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened the door, easily finding his way to the kitchen, where Logan was cooking breakfast. Cooking it by hand. Which, while not </span>
  <em>
    <span>necessarily</span>
  </em>
  <span> suspicious, could certainly be suspicious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Logan,” Virgil said, watching closely and feeling like he was in a terrible 3D spot-the-difference. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil flung his hand forward, as if he were throwing something at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Logan flinched back, making a startled sound and scanning the empty air. “What?! What was that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil’s face tightened, anxiety weighing heavy in his gut. If Logan didn’t have his powers either… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t Virgil,” Patton explained. “Or not our Virgil. We’re both more than a little confused.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But why would you throw something, or pretend to?” Logan snapped, seeming more irritated than Virgil was used to. And… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil spun to look at Patton again. He could hardly believe he hadn’t noticed sooner. all of the insane things, and this one had been staring him straight in the face the whole time and he hadn’t seen it. “You’re young.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned to look at Logan. “Both of you are. You’re really young.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both just stared at him. As if he’d said something both dumb and deeply concerning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look… maybe a bit older?” Patton said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil just sighed, sitting down on a stool and rubbing his face. “This whole thing makes no sense!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As a last-ditch option, he tried making a shadow. And let out a relieved sigh when it worked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>that?!” Logan exclaimed, and Virgil looked up to see both of them staring as if he’d grown a second head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>far out there. Even if you don’t remember me, at least you remember… you don’t, do you? People don’t have superpowers.” A horrifying thought was dawning on him. An impossible thought. Impossible other than the fact that it </span>
  <em>
    <span>apparently </span>
  </em>
  <span>had gone and happened anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both shook their heads. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil groaned. “This whole thing is so weird!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton shuffled around a bit before asking. “Did you figure it out?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, maybe? My best guess is that somehow a villain managed to get me into another dimension. But it shouldn’t be possible, and how are they supposed to get me back? Can I… what if I’m stuck here?” It was like a tight band closed around his chest, squeezing all the air out. “My dads are gonna be so worried. I have to get back. I have to!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” Patton said gently. “We’ll help you however we can. Do you think you maybe got switched with our Virgil? That he’ll come back when you go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil groaned again, dropping his head into his hands. “I don’t know!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Logan?” Patton asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I am also extremely confused. He’s right, this shouldn’t be possible, and yet somehow it has happened. I suppose— it seems likely, since it appears he has been switched with Virgil, that returning him will also return Virgil to us. But I have no idea how to go about that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door opened, and a voice unmistakably Remy’s rang out. “Who’s the new human friend?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil looked up, and saw Remy. But not Remy. It was so much. All of it. Too much. He hated it. He hated seeing familiar faces and voices just off enough to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>incredibly </span>
  </em>
  <span>uncanny. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Remy seemed equally put off by him as well. “Is everyone here seeing what I’m seeing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton and Logan nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The weight of everything was crashing over Virgil. It just didn’t stop. And then Roman walked in, looking to be in his mid twenties, and Virgil stifled a sob. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton grabbed his arm gently. “Let’s put you back to bed for a bit. This is a lot, isn’t it? It’ll be better once you wake up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil allowed himself to be led back to the bedroom, and laid down on the bed. He didn’t think he’d be able to sleep, his mind whirring away so fast and his breathing speeding up to match it. But then Remy peeked in the room, and as soon as their eyes met a wave of calm and tired flooded over everything else, and Virgil’s eyelids dragged down. </span>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li><span>•^*^••</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil woke up groggy, and sat up in the bed frowning at the strange room for several minutes before he remembered </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was there. He let out a long sigh and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had a few options. He could try calling Logan and Patton, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>Logan and Patton, in case this was all still a crazy hoax. If that didn’t work, he could try walking out as far as these people would let him go, unleash hell with shadows, and see if there was any kind of effect. Maybe a crumbling force field, or a portal opening, or something. And if that also didn’t do anything, he’d… well, he’d have to wait to be rescued. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But a large part of him didn’t want to leave the calm room. Didn’t want to face the people. They were just creepy! So close, but not quite, and then Vampires? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Vampires?! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, easy things first. He’d just have to ask to borrow a phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil got up, leaving the blanket and the illusion of safety behind, and opened the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No one was crowded behind it at least, though he could hear a murmured conversation from the living room with many familiar voices. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a hush, and Patton spoke first. “Virgil? You’re awake?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no way Patton could see him, and he definitely shouldn’t have been able to hear him either. But everything else was so weird already. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m awake.” Virgil walked out into the living room, seeing a whole group of mostly familiar faces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We made you some food in case you were hungry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded. “Thanks. Can I… borrow a phone?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re sure he’s not just doing some kind of weird vampire magic?” Roman said, gesturing towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dr. Picani, </span>
  <em>
    <span>even Dr. Picani was here??, </span>
  </em>
  <span>smacked Roman’s arm lightly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course you can,” Patton said, handing his phone over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil accepted, trying not to let all the creepiness and all the pairs of eyes staring at him get to him too much. He took the phone to the kitchen, where there was a plate covered in plastic wrap with his name scrawled on the top. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sat down, just holding the phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a part of him that didn’t want to put the numbers in. Didn’t want the confirmation that there would be no answer. But… but there could be. He’d try Logan first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil dialed the number and chewed on his lip while the phone rang. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An unfamiliar feminine voice answered. “Hello?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nearly hung up immediately, but instead he took in a deep breath. “Is Logan Sanders anywhere near there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No? I think you have the wrong number.” She hung up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil let out a heavy breath. He could still try Patton. Or maybe he’d messed up the number. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He dialed Patton’s cell phone number. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The number you are calling is unable to be reached,” a robotic voice said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil set the phone down, frowning intently at the kitchen counter, as if it held answers of some kind. But it didn’t. He ate whatever was on the plate, not paying much attention, and then walked out the kitchen door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quickly someone was following him, but Virgil didn’t turn to look, just kept walking. He expected them to stop him, but when they still didn’t after several silent minutes he turned to see Not-Patton. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why does it have to be you?” He asked, not caring anymore about trying to be tactful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Patton frowned slightly. “Is it a problem? I can ask someone else to come out here instead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is! You’re-- you look like my… you look like someone important to me. It’s creepy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Patton’s face got very sad. “I understand. You look like someone very important to me also. And… I mean, not that I really want to kick you out or anything, but I’m on your side as far as I’d like to switch you back with him as soon as possible.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded, turning back away from him. He was still trying to hold onto that slim thread of hope that he was caught inside of some mind-controlled, or reality-altering bubble. And that he’d be able to break out somehow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He focused on a spot between two trees, and unleashed shadows upon the spot. He attacked with all he had in him, ignoring the startled and worried yelling from Not-Patton. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But finally, he had to admit that nothing was happening. The trees were a bit shredded and smouldering slightly, but there wasn’t anything that would indicate the ‘bubble’ he’d hoped for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil sank to the ground, burying his face in his hands. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair for nothing to make sense. And for nothing to work. And for him to be the one here. He was dumb, he couldn’t find his way home. It should’ve been Logan. He’d be home by now, telling them the story of how he got out and stopped the person responsible from trapping anyone else.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have any more ideas. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Virgil?” Not-Patton asked, gently, and from a short distance. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Patton made a wry well-of-course-you-aren’t-alright face. “Did you get hurt?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil shook his head again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That seemed like a whole lot of… whatever it was. Do you need anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil groaned. “It’s not fair that you’re so similar!” he mumbled into his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Patton chuckled slightly. “Yeah, I bet that’s pretty confusing. Would you like to come back to the house or would you rather stay out here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil strongly considered staying put, exactly where he was, until something changed. But he knew it wouldn’t actually help anything. So he finally nodded and stood up. “We can go back to the house.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Patton offered him a sympathetic smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil slumped onto the couch in the house, grateful that at least the house wasn’t the same as his. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you rather I hang around, or leave you alone?” Not-Patton asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leave me alone please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Patton nodded. “I’ll ask the others to stay out too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil grabbed a pillow, put it in his lap, and buried his face in it. </span>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li><span>•^*^••</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil looked up, unsure of how long he’d been sitting there, and saw Not-Roman. “Hi,” he said, tone completely flat in hopes of discouraging whatever this was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… wanted to apologize. For assuming you were playing a prank on us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil snorted. “I wish I was.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman offered a wry smile. “But anyway, I was thinking, maybe, while we still don’t know what to do, you’d want to do something? Make the time pass faster?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil shrugged. “Like what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman shrugged also, even his shrug just as exaggerated as Virgil was used to. “I don’t know. I mean… I have paint? I don’t know if you’d care for that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil just shrugged silently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman sighed, and sat down, clearly trying to think of something else to do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did Patton put you up to this?” Virgil asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman’s face told him all he needed to know. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to entertain me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman looked a bit embarrassed. “Well, even if you didn’t look like Virgil, it wouldn’t be very right to leave a guest moping on the couch.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil glared. “I wasn’t moping.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman shrugged with a teasing grin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How dare he look so much like Roman. It wasn’t fair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At the very least I could turn on the tv,” Not-Roman offered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only if it’s a movie. I don’t want to know any more about… </span>
  <em>
    <span>vampires.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman bristled immediately. “Why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearly it was a touchier subject than Virgil had thought. “They don’t exist. At least not where I come from. It’s weird.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman relaxed a bit. “Well, yeah, I guess if they didn’t exist. Just, be careful what you say. Several live here now, and they can hear you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil shrugged. He didn’t want to offend them or anything, but he hoped he’d be gone before he had a chance to. “Ok.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman nodded. “So, do you think you have the same taste as our Virgil in movies?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That seemed to be the first actually interesting question yet. “I don’t know. What does he like?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman sort of shrugged. “Well, we haven’t gotten too far into the list yet, but we’ve got the Black Cauldron and The Nightmare Before Christmas. And he doesn’t seem to mind most Disney.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded. “Yeah that’s pretty close, as far as it goes. What’s stopping you from getting farther into his movie list?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not-Roman’s face sort of twisted, emotions flickering across quickly. “It’s complicated. Mostly it’s time. We haven’t had all that much downtime.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, why don’t I just start one of these!” Not-Roman said, a fake energy infusing his tone in an attempt to change the subject. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon the movie was playing, and Virgil was content to just sit and watch it. He was a bit surprised that it was still the same, though it was also a relief. There wasn’t even a surprise strange ending or anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dinner’s ready,” Patton said cheerfully from the other room, timing perfectly with the end of the movie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil sat up, and realized, as more people kept coming, that this was probably a ‘family dinner’ kind of dinner. And that meant that he had to sit next to all of them, and maybe even make conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been alright with just Patton, or just Roman. He could try to pretend that they were a stranger, and just not look at them or pay attention to their voice. But with so many of them it would be much harder. And he ‘knew’ so many of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It made for a long, awkward silence. Especially since several of them weren’t eating. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid we haven’t discovered the reason for the switching, or a good option for reversing it,” Logan said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil shrugged, eyes on his plate. “Neither did I.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then there was another, far more awkward, silence. Virgil wanted to run away. Hide back in the bedroom until he fell asleep again. Just whatever to stay away from these people and get away from the incredibly awkward feeling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One possible option,” Not-Dr-Picani said. “Is to compare stories. Perhaps there’s a clue we know but can’t recognize, or vice versa. Or perhaps you don’t know all of us, and one of us is the key… er, somehow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil shrugged, gesturing in a way that hopefully wasn’t rude at one person. “I don’t know you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man blinked. “I’m Thomas. It’s nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know Dee though?” Not-Logan asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil shrugged, hating how every pair of eyes was now fixed on him. “Not exactly, but kind of.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is intriguing,” Not-Logan said, fidgeting in a very familiar I-need-to-record-this-somehow-where-is-my-paper? way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil just shrugged, getting more and more uncomfortable, as if the air was pressing down on him. “I’m done eating, can I go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, go ahead,” Not-Patton said gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil escaped to the bathroom, breathing clearly once the door was locked. He felt like his thoughts were scattering, floating out of his head before he could even think them. He didn’t know what to do. Not what to do to make things right, or even what to do right now, other than turn the sink on to cover the sound of his harsh breathing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well. At least that gave him a start. He turned the sink on and tried to get control over himself again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It hadn’t even been that long when someone knocked on the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just a minute.” Virgil said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s fine. I was just checking. Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil wrestled down the sudden annoyed reaction. “I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened the door to see Thomas standing there, looking rather embarrassed. “Sorry. We uh… we’d like you to be more comfortable, and since you didn’t know me… ugh, it barely makes sense.” He shook his head. “Is there anything I can do? Maybe hang out? Or keep the others away from you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil just shrugged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly Thomas’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Um… what about,” he fumbled in his pocket. “I have a game on my phone, if you’d want to play with me. It’s kinda dumb, but it’s fun anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil shrugged, but less dismissively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We could go to my room. No one will try to come in but Dee.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil wasn’t just going to move, but Thomas made a come-on kind of gesture, and Virgil followed him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thomas didn’t press him to talk, or try to sit near him. They sat on a rug on the floor, and Thomas started the game, which was basically trivial pursuit, but set up to run endlessly, racking up points instead of winning. They passed the phone back and forth, mostly silent, Thomas sometimes laughing slightly at the questions when they seemed dumb or needlessly difficult. And as it went on, Virgil relaxed. Thomas seemed pretty cool. A bit overdramatic, but in a friendly way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was quite a while later before there was a soft knock at the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s Dee. Oh. Gosh, it’s late.” Thomas said, standing to open the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just needed some things,” Dee said, almost ignoring Virgil past a brief nod. “You don’t need to stop your game.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s late anyway,” Virgil said, also standing. “I’ll get out of your way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your—“ Thomas said quickly, reaching out quickly, but stopping before he grabbed Virgil’s shoulder. “Sorry. Our Virgil sleeps in the same room as Patton, but you seemed uncomfortable around him, so he offered to let you switch with Dee and stay in here for the night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil looked between the two of them. “You don’t need to do that, I’ll let you have your room.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before they could keep protesting, he walked out the door into his counterpart’s room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’ll switch back overnight…” he mumbled, shutting the door and making his way to the bed in the dark room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Not-Patton said, very quietly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil’s first reaction was to leap onto the bed, scared out of his skin by the surprise voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though he wasn’t Patton, he still had that same tone of pretending he wasn’t sad. If the lights were on, Virgil could have probably seen him fighting back tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t handle Patton being sad. He couldn’t. And apparently that extended to Not-Patton. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um… you’re… I mean, not you, but the you in my… world, I guess. I don’t really know. You’re um… you’re my dad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a brief silence. “I am?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded, forgetting it was too dark to see. “My adopted dad, actually. It’s… it’s been hard, today, cause I’m used to… I mean, I don’t go to him, he mostly comes to me when I’m upset. But, it’s so close, and, and you’re just not actually him. It creeped me out, and then I was rude to you. Sorry. It’s not like it’s your fault this happened.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s ok!” Not-Patton said immediately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a silence, but it was much less awkward now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, I kind of…” Not-Patton started. “I mean, I haven’t adopted him or anything. He’s older than that anyway, but… I’d adopt Virgil, if he didn’t mind.” He chuckled lightly. “Maybe I’m too young though. He’s only about seven years younger than me. But I care a whole lot for him too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil nodded. “I could tell. I’m sure he’s really happy here with you guys.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil laid down and stared up at the vague shape of the ceiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope you sleep well,” Not-Patton said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. You too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a very faint chuckle. “And I hope when we wake up tomorrow that you aren’t here anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil chuckled also. “So do I.”</span>
</p><p> </p><ul>
<li><span>•^*^••</span></li>
</ul><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil’s eyes opened, and he saw his ceiling. His blankets. His bed. His room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He bolted out of the room. “Dad!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Virgil?!” Logan asked, looking both startled and relieved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil grabbed him in a tight hug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Patton turned the corner, running to see them. Virgil grabbed him into the hug too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both hugged back, tightly, as if they were just as relieved to see him as he was to see them, and everything was alright. </span>
</p><p>
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